Another Strange Trip
by Kotoage
Summary: As if Kagome doesn't have enough to deal with in medieval Japan! Now she has a close encounter with the legends and lore of medieval Europe: how will she and her friends cope?
1. Not a Bad Way to Wake Up

Disclaimer: This story is a work of fan fiction. Any similarity of the characters within this story to the copyright characters of Rumiko Takahashi is a result of the author's admiration for Rumiko Takahashi's work and is not intended as any sort of copyright violation. To wit: Inuyasha and all related characters are the legal property of Rumiko Takahashi. I'm just taking them for a spin!

**Chapter 1**

**Not a Bad Way to Wake Up**

Something jolted Kagome awake. Opening her eyes, the thin dawn light revealed a dark figure, hovering close over her. She gasped aloud.

"Quiet!" The harsh whisper was completely familiar to Kagome, as was his form now that she was fully awake. For some reason, Inuyasha was covering her body with his own. Kagome looked up and saw the muscles tense in his neck, the line of his jaw sharp in the early light as he thrust out his head, keeping a watch on the sky.

We must be in danger, she thought. Inuyasha's sleeves were draped across her bedroll, his weight on the elbow and arm that rested on the ground along her side. His warm hand cupped her shoulder, keeping her still. Turning her head, she could see his other hand through the curtain of his hair, fingers dug into the ground, ready to propel him into action.

But, I don't feel like I'm in danger. Kagome returned her gaze to Inuyasha's neck directly above her. The charmed necklace he wore brushed her cheek. His throat was revealed to her sight by the loosening of his shirt. She could smell the scent of his skin. She felt protected, enclosed by his arms and weight and warmth and hair. Kagome realized she wanted to reach up and slide her arms around his back, to complete this almost-embrace and clasp him close. The power of the urge shocked her. She felt her face flush with heat.

I'm blushing!

"It's gone," Inuyasha said, with a growl in his voice. He looked down at Kagome, and for a long instant their eyes met in that private space created by his silver hair.

Then suddenly, Inuyasha was sitting several feet away, and Kagome was sitting up primly in her bedroll, and it wasn't just the rosy light of the sunrise that stained their faces.

"What was that?" Kagome asked, if only to break the silence.

"I - I don't know," Inuyasha replied, his head carefully turned away.

Miroku and Sango emerged from hiding nearby, followed by a quivering Shippo. Kagome glanced fearfully in their direction, but there was no indication they had seen any of her and Inuyasha's ... interaction. Shippo hustled across the camp toward Kagome. She gathered him into her lap gratefully, as much as a guard against her treacherous memory, which wanted to replay the scene over and over again, as to comfort the little fox demon. She turned to Miroku and focussed on what he was saying.

"...like no demon I have ever seen." Miroku was gazing in the direction the creature had gone. He turned to the demonslayer next to him. "Sango?"

"No, I've never heard of anything like it. It's aura was different, too -- not like the demons we usually fight, but still malevolent."

"What happened?" Kagome asked, not looking in Inuyasha's direction. Miroku answered.

"The creature's approaching aura woke us up, I think. It came on very quickly. Sango, Shippo and I were able to take cover in the underbrush here, but you were on the other side of the campfire, out in the open. Inuyasha jumped to protect you."

"It was so _big_, Kagome!" Shippo twisted around in her lap. "It had wings like a bat, only really, really large! I'm glad it was going somewhere, because it would have been a tough fight if it had seen us!"

Inuyasha snorted.

"Shippo speaks truly, Inuyasha," Miroku replied.

"I don't like it," Sango's voice was quiet. As she spoke, she pulled out her demonslayer's uniform. "That demon -- if it was a demon -- snuck up on us all. It acted like it was hunting." She stood up to head into the trees to change. "We need to track it." She turned and walked away from the camp, Kirara trailing after her.

"I agree with Sango. There's something not right about this," Miroku again looked in the direction the demon had flown.

"What are you saying?" Inuyasha's voice had a growl in it. "We're tracking _Naraku_, we don't have time to follow some other demon!"

"But, Inuyasha," Kagome said, "what if Naraku is involved with this, somehow?" Her hands petted Shippo absently, but her head turned to look where Miroku looked. Her face was worried. "And Sango said _hunting_. Hunting what?" Kagome returned her gaze to the contented little demon in her lap. "Or who?"

No one had an answer for her, but now even Inuyasha was looking off into the now-empty sky, speculatively testing the scent on the wind.


	2. Hunting the Hunter

Disclaimer: Ownership of these characters has not changed hands, so I'm still only borrowing them!

**Chapter 2**

**Hunting the Hunter**

"I'm getting real tired of this thing's scent," Inuyasha complained, in a low, surly voice. He had stopped suddenly on the edge of a small copse of trees, an impatient scowl on his face. Though the unknown creature from that morning had a distinct odor that Inuyasha was able to follow, it often disappeared for brief periods, dissipating on the air currents. It made the tracking easy for Inuyasha but tedious, as every so often he would need to pause and cast about for the scent again. For once, the half-demon's ill humor was entirely understandable. Kagome, who couldn't smell it at all, could only pat his shoulder in a 'there, there' sort of way. It didn't seem to comfort him any, however. Nor did Shippo piping up in agreement.

"Oh, I don't like it either! It stinks!"

The little fox demon almost received a rap on the head from Inuyasha for his opinion, but a look from Kagome stayed the half-demon's fist. "What does it smell like?" she asked.

"Like...like one of those really stinky mountain springs, that always smell like bad eggs." Shippo's nose wrinkled in memory.

"Hmmm, that would be sulfur..." Kagome sniffed the air, but still couldn't catch the slightest scent, even knowing what she was trying to smell.

"What does it matter what it is! It's just a waste of time!" Inuyasha turned to the others, his hands in fists. "What difference is it going to make if we catch this thing! Naraku's our target! Everything else is just small-fry we can take care of after he's dead!"

Kagome looked at him, at the frustration she could easily see he was feeling, and she sympathized. Though it still startled her to feel this way about anyone, she wanted Naraku defeated as much as the others did. But something about the encounter with that creature this morning was naggingly familiar to her, and she just couldn't shake the feeling that this was a problem they needed to take care of right away, before it became a bigger problem. Trying to explain that to Inuyasha right now would just be a waste of my breath, she thought ruefully. But, it's either that or tell him to sit, and I don't really feel like dealing with a sulky half-demon today!

"Inuyasha, you know we can't let that huge creature wander around the countryside until we defeat Naraku. Think of all the people it could harm. Besides, " Kagome's voice turned practical, "we've almost caught up to it, haven't we, Sango?"

But the demonslayer was prevented from agreeing with Kagome, for just then a small ragged boy ran toward them.

"Oh, help!" the child cried out. Fast on his heels came a woman, her face focussed on the boy. When she saw Inuyasha, she frantically crossed the remaining distance to the child, and grabbed him up. In the next moment, however, the fear on her face melted into exhaustion, and even hope, as she spotted the monk and the women. She held out one hand in supplication. Kagome glanced at Inuyasha, to gauge his reaction to yet another slight, but he seemed to handle it well. His eyes looked to the side scornfully, and his mouth shaped the sound "Feh." But he was listening to what the woman had to say, even so.

"Oh, please, can you not help us, monk?"

"Whatever is the matter, good woman?" Miroku stepped forward. The woman was no young beauty, and the monk was all business.

"It's a monster! A large monster has attacked our village! It flies, and there is a person riding it -- all the men of the village are fighting it out by the sacred cave." She pointed back in the direction from whence she had come. "It's there, just over that rise." She looked back at Miroku, her free hand returning to clutch at her boy, wide-eyed in her arms. "Can you help us? Please! The men are in danger for their lives!"

Sango stepped forward, and Kagome joined her. A quick glance at Inuyasha showed he had paid close attention to all the woman had said. Shippo and Kirara stood close by, too. A look shared round the group told Kagome all she needed to know -- they were going into battle again.

"Of course we will help you. I, and my people here -" Kagome heard a little exasperated snort from Sango, and she fought back a grin of her own. "-will defeat that foul creature, fear not." Miroku was about to go on, but was interrupted by Inuyasha.

"Let's go." He turned and walked away from the woman, and for an instant, Kagome felt a surge of pride in the half-demon. He walked so firmly, so matter-of-factly, going to help the humans who would no doubt treat him just as the woman had. Humans feared him because he was so clearly a demon, and demons like his brother Sesshomaru despised him because he was so clearly a human, and through it all, Inuyasha forged his own path. He's so much stronger than he realizes, Kagome thought, as she admired his striding figure. Then, just as she thought this, Inuyasha stopped, and looked back over his shoulder at her.

"Are you coming, or not?"

She hopped once in surprise, then caught up with him, Shippo at her heels. I'd better focus on the upcoming fight! Kagome thought, but a brief memory from that morning flashed through her mind, of the muscles along Inuyasha's throat, and the weight of his body against her shoulder. Though she wouldn't look at him, not with her face feeling a bit warmish like it was, Kagome could see the bright red of his clothing and the shining white of his hair out of the corner of her eye. So strong, she thought, almost without knowing she did so.

By this time, Miroku and Sango had caught up as well, having stayed behind briefly to finish speaking to the village woman. Together, they all topped the rise and saw the open field below. Men were shouting and running everywhere, trying to form groups to attack the creature that menaced them, but without success. The thing hovered in the air between the men and a cliff wall, and it dipped at random into the crowd, scattering the men like bowling pins.

"Yep, that's the beast from this morning." Inuyasha was grim.

"The aura is the same, too." Sango appeared to be concentrating, her eyes partially closed for a moment, then springing open again. "But it's not a demonic aura. It's not a demon!"

"Not a demon? But then," Kagome turned to Inuyasha as she realized the implications of this. "Without a demonic aura present, there's nothing for the Wind Scar or the Backlash Wave to react against. You won't be able to use Tetsusaiga's powers in the fight!" Inuyasha just scowled in response.

"No, you won't. And until the villagers clear away, I can't use my Wind Tunnel, either." Miroku was gazing down at the scene, his face tight. Cursed though he might be, he wouldn't take innocent lives, this Kagome knew.

"But," Shippo spoke, his voice tremulous at the sight of the creature, "if it isn't a demon, then what is it?"

"I know what it is."

Everyone turned to look at Kagome in surprise. She couldn't take her eyes off the beast flying around below them. She couldn't believe she was really seeing what she was seeing, though why this one creature would surprise her so, after all the bizarre demons she had already encountered here in the past, she couldn't understand.

"And I know why it doesn't have a demonic aura. It isn't a demon, it's just a beast. It's a big, vicious, ugly beast from western mythology. It's a dragon."

Inuyasha immediately scoffed, and turned to examine the creature for weaknesses. Sango didn't scoff, but her voice was confused. "A dragon? Are you sure, Kagome? It doesn't look like any dragon I've ever seen."

"Or act like any dragon," Miroku said, "I've never heard of one acting so cruelly toward people before."

"Yeah. It's a dragon. I didn't think they were real, but it's exactly like the dragons I've seen in fantasy movies." They looked at the thing for a moment. Kagome still was having difficulty wrapping her mind around it -- but there it was, just like the ones from all the fantasy stories. Unlike the sinewy serpentine body of the Asian dragon, this one was stocky and powerful. Besides the immense bat-like wings Shippo had mentioned this morning, it's body was covered in a dull green armor, that glinted in the sun. That was the scales, Kagome supposed. It's head was narrow, like a horse's head, and it had no horns like local dragons did, only a row of nasty spikes that trailed off down it's spine. And that's when Kagome saw the figure.

"Look! There really is a person riding the dragon! How is that possible?"

"Who cares. Are we gonna take it down, or what?"

"Inuyasha's right." Miroku cast a worried glance down at the melee below. "No one has been attacked so far, but the dragon could stop toying with them at any moment."

"Yeah." Inuyasha spoke, his eyes on the activity below. "Why do villagers always try to fight something like that? They should just leave the fighting to us!" That said, he pulled out his Tetsusaiga from its sheath and made his way down the hillside in large bounding leaps, heading straight for the dragon. Kagome could only roll her eyes. Just a little while ago he wanted to stop tracking the thing altogether, she thought in exasperation. All they could do was follow him, and hope for the best. Kagome trusted Inuyasha, but strategy wasn't always his forte, that's for sure!


	3. Battle!

Disclaimer: Still just playing with Rumiko Takahashi's characters.

**Chapter 3**

**Battle! **

Kagome, Miroku, and Sango rushed down the hillside, following Inuyasha who had impulsively leapt to join the villagers' conflict with the dragon. Shippo and Kirara scurried after them. They were just making their way across the field toward Inuyasha as he came within range of the dragon. The villagers were, of their own accord, melting back to the sidelines, recognizing an experienced band of fighters and more than willing to relinquish the field of battle to them. Kagome was heading toward the village men, to see if there were any injuries to treat, when a certain piece of dragon lore came back to her with the force of a hammer. She dropped her bag, spinning around to where Inuyasha was beginning his charge against the massive beast.

"Inuyasha!" she screamed, but he was already leaping upward, directly at the toothsome maw of the monster. "It breathes fire! It breathes FIRE!"

Her warning was too late. Like the living flame-thrower it was, the dragon spewed a gout of flame at the half-demon soaring upwards toward it. Inuyasha's red-clad figure was lost in the hot colors of the torrent of fire.

Kagome covered her mouth with her hands. "No." she whispered into her fingers.

"Wait! Look!" Miroku's cry was echoed by the village men, and several of them pointed at a spot just above the dragon, just beyond the flame. Kagome's wide-eyed gaze tracked to where they directed, and her eyes filled with relief. Inuyasha hovered there, unscathed. She could hear his harsh triumphant laugh, and it made her heart fill with a cry of joy. He's safe! Then she realized why -- his coat, made of fire-rat fur. It had protected her before, in just that way. She watched with a growing confidence as Inuyasha swooped down to attack the dragon. Sango and Miroku, ready to leap into action, waited as well, knowing the strength of their companion.

The Tetsusaiga swung down to bite into the dragon's flank, but the beast swooped away from the blade. Kagome could hear a wild laughter from the back of the dragon. It was the rider! She squinted at the beast, and sure enough, she could make out a harness and bridle. How on earth do you harness a dragon, she thought in bewilderment. But harnessed it certainly was, for now that she was watching for it, she could see that it was the rider that was directing the evasive maneuvers of the beast. She dashed forward.

"Inuyasha! It's the rider! If you can take out the rider, the dragon won't evade you!"

"I know that!"

"Okay! Just saying!"

"Maybe I can hit the rider with my boomerang bone," Sango said. Kagome looked at the young woman with approval. That was a great idea! The slim demonslayer called to Kirara, and in a moment, was in the air astride the fire-cat's back. She strove to reach a vantage point away from the beast's snout, but the rider had spotted her, and Sango was unable to get a clear shot. She tried anyway, but had to dodge a burst of flame in reward for her effort. She returned to the group on the ground.

"It's no use. She's too good at using the dragon as a shield and a weapon." Sango was breathless from her quick excursion into the battle. Kagome reached out toward Sango's forehead.

"So I see. You were lucky, Sango." Kagome brushed away a few strands of hair from the woman's bangs, singed into ash. Startled, Sango took a deep breath, then sank to the ground and gathered up the once-again small Kirara in her arms. She pressed her cheek to the cat's head, and whispered her thanks into her furry friend's ears.

Sango looked back up, keeping Kirara in her arms. "The rider was a woman. I saw her."

"A demon?" Miroku asked.

"No, a human, I'm sure of it."

"How is that possible?" Kagome was even more confused. All she knew about dragons -- not much admittedly -- indicated they were incredibly strong. How could a human master one?

The little group stood there for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts, watching Inuyasha striving against the strength of the dragon and the skill of the woman riding it. Kagome could just make out the sound of their voices, high above in the air. She moved closer to hear what it was they were saying.

"Give up? I will never give up!" It was the woman's voice, her words scornful. "I have travelled over every land, and taken my skills from each! I am the Queen of All Magic!"

Huh, Kagome thought, not impressed by the woman's hyperbole. You're the queen, all right; the Queen of Megalomania.

"Whatever! Just shut up and get off that dragon!"

Kagome shook her head slightly. That's right, Inuyasha, match wits with her.

"You are the one who will be shut up! You are keeping me from what is mine! I will kill you and then I will take the talisman for which I have come!" The woman's brash words were followed by a bolt of electric magic, shot from an elaborate wand in her hand. Inuyasha easily dodged the beam , and it was good that he did, for the spot on the ground where it hit smoldered with a sickly smoke.

"Watch out, Inuyasha!" Kagome called up to the half-demon. He scowled down at her.

"I can handle it!"

Inuyasha wasn't the only one looking down at her. The sorceress on the dragon was gazing at her too, a dark look on her face, the long coils of her red hair moving slightly in the wind like a living thing.

"I see you, little girl! I don't like little girls, especially little girls in uniforms! Once I get rid of this puppy, I'll take care of you, as well!" Her laughter cackled down to Kagome, who was really starting to be annoyed by this melodramatic self-styled queen. She wasn't able to retort, however, because Inuyasha renewed his onslaught with ferocity.

"No you won't!" he yelled, and dove directly at the woman on the dragon's back.

Kagome watched Inuyasha try to come at the dragon and its rider again and again, each time to have his attack thwarted by the swift maneuvers the beast was able to make. The sorceress' sharply-flung bolts of magic didn't help matters, either.

What can we do? Kagome tried to think. We can't get the crazy woman off the dragon, so we need to be able to immobilize it somehow, or else Inuyasha can't get enough of a swing to cut through those scales! The way it is now, even when he does get close enough, he can only get in a glancing blow with the Tetsusaiga. Kagome looked around, hoping to think of something that would help. Then she spotted it. There, on the other side of the meadow in front of the cave, a tree with a doubled trunk. If we can get the dragon to get stuck in that tree...but how? Kagome frowned at nothing, thinking fiercely. What else do I know about dragons? What else...oh! She snapped her fingers in sudden insight. Gold!

With a plan now bright in her mind, Kagome turned to her companions. "Shippo? Can you transform anything with your powers of illusion?"

"Well...it depends on the size of the thing, I guess."

Kagome quickly scoured the area, while her friends watched in befuddlement. In a moment, she returned to them, carrying a stone about the size of a grapefruit. "What about this, Shippo, is this too big?"

Shippo took the rock from Kagome cautiously, but once he had it in his own hands, he weighed it with a look of speculation on his young face.

"Kagome, what's going on?" Sango asked, too curious to keep silent.

"I have an idea about how we can get that dragon to hold still long enough for Inuyasha to hit it. But Shippo needs to be able to transform that rock in order for it to work."

Hearing that, the fox demon puffed up a little with pride, and his whole attitude changed to one of utter assurance -- or was that arrogance? He looked up at Kagome with eyes bright and eager. "What do you want me to change the rock into, Kagome?"

"Gold."

Everyone's eyes went wide at that.

"How is a rock that looks like gold going to be of aid to us, Kagome?" Miroku asked.

"It's something that I remembered about dragons -- they love gold and treasure of all kinds. In fact, they hoard it, they're obsessed with it. Maybe we can draw the dragon's attention with some fake gold and then Inuyasha can kill it." She looked down at Shippo, who was still cradling the rock in his hands. "Can you do that Shippo?"

"Yeah, but gold is kind of tricky. It won't stay like that long after I let go of it."

"Oh. Hmmmm..." Kagome turned away, thinking hard. She glanced up at the airborne battle. Inuyasha was still holding his own, but the sooner this was over, the better. Suddenly, the sight of their aerial dodgings sparked an idea, and she turned back, kneeling down to speak to Shippo more directly.

"Shippo, I have an idea, but it's dangerous. If you hold the stone until the last minute, then you and Kirara can lure the dragon to where we need him to go. Will you do that?"

Shippo paled, but stood firm. Kirara came up along side him and rubbed him with her head, uttering a tiny determined 'mew'. The fox gripped the stone with a squeeze, then returned Kagome's gaze.

"I- I'll do it. I will!" He closed his eyes tightly and held the stone close to his body, then spoke the phrase that activated his fox magic. In a puff of smoke, the stone transformed into a lump of precious gold, glimmering in the afternoon light. Kirara changed herself too, taking on her full form in a swirl of flame. As Shippo clambered onto her back, Kagome ran as close as she dared to the battle.

"Inuyasha!" she shouted. He barely spared her a glance, but she could tell he was listening to her all the same. "Be ready! We're going to try something to trap the dragon!" She stood there a moment longer, watching the fight. She could hear the sorceress' high, flat voice yelling taunts, and Inuyasha's voice giving back as good as he got in that sarcastic way of his. I hope this works, Kagome thought, as she turned and went back to the others.

She outlined the plan for Shippo and Kirara, pointing out the tree with the forked trunks, and then all she could do was step back and let them take over. She clasped her hands anxiously. It's just gotta work!

"It'll work, Kagome, I'm sure it will. Kirara's very agile." Sango unwittingly answered Kagome's fears with her comforting words.

"Sango's absolutely right, Kagome. And Shippo's braver than he thinks he is." Miroku came to stand on her other side, and thus flanked by her friends and their support, Kagome watched her plan play out.

Kirara flew toward the battle, Shippo looking like a little doll on her back. As soon as they were within the dragon's line of sight, Shippo held out the illusory gold. It glittered and shone in the sunlight, so much so that even Kagome and the others could see it clearly from where they stood. The dragon also saw it clearly, that much was certain. It's head swiveled sharply in the direction of the sparkling lure, and it's massive body rolled to follow. The sorceress hauled roughly on the harness, trying to turn the dragon back toward the battle, but the dragon just shivered it's body, like a horse shaking off a fly. As easy as that, the creature dislodged it's master, the compulsion for gold too strong to bear any other distraction. The woman fell the short distance to the ground, unmarked by all, who still watched the dragon's actions.

It tracked the movement of the golden stone unmercifully, and it's wings flapped with an urgency that propelled it forward more swiftly than it had moved before. Kagome could hear Shippo give out a yelp, but Sango had been correct -- Kirara was able to stay just out of range of the dragon's snout. Kagome worried about the monster's ability to use fire -- Shippo and Kirara wouldn't be protected as Inuyasha had been. But perhaps the dragon was too transfixed by the stone to think of it, or too covetous to dare use it's deadly weapon, because no flame shot out to test Kirara's agility again. The cat demon was showing her skill, in any case, keeping the dragon off-balance and focussed on the yellow stone so that the beast paid no heed to it's surroundings. In a moment, the fire cat was near the tree, and then slipped around it, so quickly the dragon had no time to pull up short. It's head plowed through the gap in the twinned trunks, and didn't stop until it's shoulders slammed up against the tree, sending a falling flurry of green leaves to shower it's scaly body. It bellowed, and began to wriggle itself free, but it's neck was now pinched by the trunks, and the scales were stuck deep in the bark. The powerful creature was held fast -- perhaps not for long, but for the moment it couldn't budge.

And it was a moment Inuyasha was ready to take advantage of. The trap had been set and sprung in a short space of time, but he was there at the dragon's head as soon as he saw it was immobilized. He raised his sword and swung down at the thrashing neck of the beast.

"Take that, you stupid creature!" His yell obscured the desperate cry of the sorceress. The Tetsusaiga was able at last to slice through the tough scales of the dragon's hide, and the monster's blood flowed from the wound. Inuyasha prepared to strike again, to hew off the head completely, but he was shoved aside by the frantic sorceress.

"No!" she shrieked. "Don't kill it!"

As soon as the dragon had been caught within the trunks of the tree, Kagome, Sango, and Miroku had rushed closer to the scene. Shippo, exhausted from the fearsome trial of hanging onto Kirara's back and holding out the transformed rock, all while being chased by that awful thing, stayed aloft on the fire cat, his hands gripping her soft fur. No one had noticed the woman scrambling toward Inuyasha.

Now, however, she stood before the dragon's head, her feet red with the dragon's blood. Kagome was just starting to feel a little sorry for her, thinking that the dragon must have been her pet, bizarre though that was. She was wishing they hadn't had to kill it, when the sorceress suddenly pulled a short dagger out from under her belt and slashed the dragon across the forehead.

Wha...? Kagome wasn't sure she had really seen that. Even Inuyasha was startled by the woman's actions, enough so that he made no move to intercept her. The sorceress hacked at the dragon's head, quickly splitting open it's hide at a spot just above and between the dragon's still-open eyes. The dragon, it's lifeblood flowing from the wound inflicted by Tetsusaiga, had no strength to fight it's master's vicious and inexplicable attack. The woman thrust her hand into the cavity she had made, and ripped out a small lumpy globe from within the dragon's skull. She looked at the gleaming thing in her red and dripping hand, and her eyes shone with a mad delight. She turned toward Inuyasha.

"Now, I shall truly defeat you!" She whipped her head in Kagome's direction, her long red hair following in snaky ropes. "And then I'll crush you, little girl. I shall enjoy it!"

"Leave Kagome alone!" Inuyasha yelled at the crazed sorceress. She only laughed, and pointed the globe at him, held in her clawed hand.

"I have died twice and yet I still live! I have been to every country on this earth, and have mastered countless magics! And now I have the dracontias, the most potent source of occult power known, taken from the head of a still-living dragon! How can you hope to defeat me, puppy? I will kill you and take your pretty magic sword for my collection, and I shall do as I like with your companions! I can't be defeated, never again!" The woman laughed in triumph, her head thrown back, oblivious to the people surrounding her, oblivious to the dragon, her erstwhile steed, discarded and dying behind her.

She's crazy, Kagome thought, a shiver sliding down her spine. Even if what she says about the thing she took from the dragon is true, she's certifiable. Kagome was starting to be very worried about their chances this time, until she felt a faint, familiar tingle. Was it possible...?

"Kagome? Do you feel that?" Sango kept her voice low, out of earshot of the sorceress. If Sango felt something, then I must not be imagining it! Hope flared up in Kagome's heart, burning away the incipient fear. She looked at Sango and nodded. The women glanced at Miroku, and from the look of concentration on his face, could tell he was aware of it, as well.

"Inuyasha! That gem in her hand! It has an aura!"

The half-demon gave Kagome a sharp look, and she nodded, once, definitively. Now that there was an aura available, Inuyasha would be able to employ his full range of attack skills again. His face broke into a grin. Kagome was tempted to label it mischievous, if that wouldn't be so inappropriate. But then, since when did Inuyasha ever concern himself with being appropriate? He must be feeling pretty happy right now!

"Woman, you're dead!" Inuyasha shouted and raised Tetsusaiga over his head. The sorceress sneered at him, and began to mutter some low chant. The blood on her hands began to smoke, the wispy tendrils swirling up to wreathe the globe in her hand with sickly streaks of color. Kagome reached behind her back and pulled an arrow out of her quiver. This was going to end, now!

Kagome nocked the arrow and pulled the bowstring taut. She let her holy power rise up and fill the arrow, charging it and making it a potent weapon. She kept her eyes on her target, the occult gem in the sorceress' grasp, but used her peripheral vision to stay aware of Inuyasha. He shouted out the phrase that triggered Tetsusaiga's Wind Scar, and the whirling power thus unleashed flung itself across the distance toward their opponent. The sorceress likewise hurled her magic at the half-demon, a dark rush of twisting, tangled power. At that very same moment, Kagome released her arrow, watching with satisfaction as it sped alongside the Wind Scar's coiling powers with a pink energy of its own.

The three powers collided and a wave of dizziness swept through Kagome, distracting her for a brief moment. She paid it no heed, however, and returned her attention to her arrow, to see if it had hit it's mark. She could see it quivering where it had struck -- not, however, in the dragon's gem, where she had aimed, but in a paper target stuck to the side of stacked bales of straw.

Supremely confused, Kagome looked around her. The field was gone, as was the dragon's corpse, the villagers, even the wild sorceress had vanished. She stared at Inuyasha, who was likewise looking about him with angry confusion marking his features, and Miroku and Sango, just behind her.

"What happened?" She asked. Why, she wondered, were they now standing at one end of a narrow clearing in the woods? Kagome looked around again, seeing for the first time the people standing along the sides, a dozen or so individuals dressed, not in the medieval kimonos she had become accustomed to, but in gowns and tunics straight out of a costume book. It was like they were surrounded by the cast of a Robin Hood movie. A cast that was staring at her and her friends.

Inuyasha moved closer to the little group, taking up a protective stance in front of Kagome. Over his shoulder she could see a man moving slowly toward them. He was big, and bearded, and undeniably a foreigner. His hands were held out loosely from his sides, palms open and empty, and he was smiling. His eyes were locked on the Tetsusaiga, held firmly upright in Inuyasha's hands. Then Kagome realized she could almost understand what the bearded man was saying. His words were at first a babble of nonsense to her shocked mind, but as she calmed slightly in the shadow of Inuyasha's protection, she began to identify the general sound of what he was saying, if not the meaning. The stranger walking toward them was speaking English!

Kagome groaned slightly. It had to be English? That was one of her worst subjects! How was she ever going to find out what was going on?


	4. Time Travel, Again?

Disclaimer: Under no circumstances is this piece of writing to be mistaken for anything but the adoring fanfiction that it is. No infringement of Rumiko Takahashi's copyright is intended or desired.

**Chapter 4**

**Time Travel, Again?**

English! Why did it have to be English! Kagome groaned softly and laid her forehead against Inuyasha's shoulder in chagrin. So this is what it feels like when karma bites you on your butt, she thought. Inuyasha had jumped slightly when her head touched him, but his stance hadn't shifted, telling Kagome that the foreigner hadn't disappeared in the brief moment she had closed her eyes and wished him gone. She took a deep breath and raised her head, looking at the approaching man over Inuyasha's shoulder once again.

I can do this! It's just a matter of concentration! She willed herself not to be distracted by the fact that she and her friends were suddenly not where they had been, that instead of at the scene of a battle with -- of all things -- a mythical dragon from European legend, they were now standing in a wooded glade, surrounded by people dressed in styles she had never seen before. All I have to do is listen carefully to the big, bearded foreigner, Kagome told herself, and focussed all her attention on that man.

That man was, in turn, focussing all his attention on Inuyasha's sword, but his eyes shifted to Kagome when she spoke up from behind the half-demon.

"He-hello?" She stepped out slightly, so the stranger could see her. His smile brightened fractionally, but Kagome could see that he was still keeping a close watch on Inuyasha, though he didn't seem fearful, just cautious. Kagome decided that was a good sign.

"Greetings to you, milady," the man replied, dipping his head in a tiny nod. "You appeared so suddenly, you took us by surprise!"

"Ah," Kagome was pretty sure he had said something about their abrupt appearance, so to be on the safe side, she smiled, bowed, and said "We sorry!" She inwardly cringed at her horrible pronunciation.

"Oh no, quite alright. Are you newcomers?"

New...come...? Isn't that what he just said before? Oh, this is hard! Focus, Kagome!

"Ah... yes, we just here now."

Just then, Inuyasha's patience ran out.

"What's going on? What's this guy saying to you, Kagome?"

"He just welcomed us here, that's all he's said so far! He's speaking English and I'm not that good at it, okay?" She really didn't need the extra level of stress Inuyasha was providing right now, and her voice was beginning to show it.

"Well, I don't like it. What happened to that crazy woman and her dragon?" Inuyasha responded to her tone with a little growl in his.

"Calm down, Inuyasha! Don't make me say you-know-what. I'm going to try to find out, so just hold on!" The half-demon subsided, and Kagome cast a glance at the rest of their group to make sure they understood, as well. She noticed that Sango had taken a defensive position guarding their group from the back, and Miroku was vigilant as well. And Shippo --

Shippo was nowhere in sight, nor was Kirara. Kagome was about to ask if anyone had seen them, when she heard Inuyasha's growl again. She turned back to face the stranger, who was trying to say something to Inuyasha. She realized she needed to intervene before the foreigner found out the hard way about Inuyasha's temper.

"Ah, sorry. I only one... to speak English." Kagome made a quick apologetic bow. "Sorry!"

"Oh, I see! Well, could you please tell your friend he needs to sheathe his sword? We have a rule against live steel, you see."

Kagome processed this, trying to figure out what he had said from the few words she clearly understood and using context to fill in the rest. The words 'live steel' threw her for a minute, until she realized the man must have been referring to the Tetsusaiga.

"Inuyasha, he wants you to put Tetsusaiga away. There's a rule about swords."

"I will not."

Oh, Kagome thought with exasperation, don't be difficult now! It's hard enough already!

"Inuyasha! Please? I don't think we're in danger anymore."

"Everyone's armed. They all have bows." Inuyasha hadn't taken his eyes off the stranger once, but this standoff coming on the heels of the battle had left him ready to fight. Kagome sighed, and turned back to the stranger.

"My friend, he feel," Kagome groped for the word she wanted, "Danger." At this, the man's eyebrows raised, and he shook his head side-to-side.

"Oh, no, no, of course not. There's no danger here!"

"But, bows and arrows?" Kagome indicated the people standing on either side of the clearing. The man looked to where she directed, and suddenly began to chuckle. This confirmed Kagome's feeling that they weren't being threatened, but she was willing to bet that Inuyasha would find even the man's chuckling threatening. Sure enough, the half-demon growled. Kagome quickly put her hand on his arm. The man's quiet laughter came to an end and he spoke.

"This is an archery tournament. We're just having fun!" He grinned at Kagome.

Tournament? That was a word Kagome knew, and the rest fell in place. She tugged on Inuyasha's sleeve.

"It's really okay, Inuyasha! They're just practicing. It's a tournament, a competition. Now, put Tetsusaiga away!"

"Feh."

But he put the sword back in it's sheath. Kagome was pretty sure the entire clearing let out a collective sigh of relief. She knew she did.

She saw the man call out to someone, and a youngster dashed out of the clearing, but she had turned to Sango and Miroku to ask about Shippo and Kirara. They didn't know where the two little demons were, either, and it was with worry in her heart that Kagome turned back to answer the man's question.

"You guys are from Japan?" Kagome nodded at him. "We've got a lady in camp here who speaks Japanese. I'll take you to her, okay?" Relief came over Kagome as his meaning dawned on her. She smiled and gave him a short, happy bow.

"Thank you! Thank you very much!"

He turned and led them out of the clearing, calling out to several other people in a big, friendly voice as he did so. There was some laughter, and the crowd began to resume their interrupted activity. Kagome quickly filled in Sango and Miroku on the conversation with the bearded stranger.

"But where do you suppose Shippo and Kirara are?" Kagome asked.

"I was trying to figure that out, " Miroku replied, "Do you recall that at the end of the battle, they were still in the sky? Perhaps they were clear of whatever happened to us."

"That would make sense," Sango said, her expression thoughtful, "After all, there was something not quite right about that sorceress' magic, and the way it clashed against the Wind Scar and Kagome's holy arrow..." Sango's voice trailed off as they came out of the small woodland. They were on the edge of a large clearing, but what caught the attention of all of them, even Inuyasha, was that the meadow seemed to contain a village of canvas tents. More people dressed in costumes like the archery group wore walked everywhere. There was laughter and talking, and off in the distance, the intermittent sounds of drumming and music. The scent of wood smoke from campfires perfumed the air, though Kagome almost didn't notice it, so accustomed to the presence of open hearths she had become from her travels in time. As they followed their guide, they crossed into one of the informal streets of the village, lined with open booths displaying jewelry and clothing and weaponry and books, and strings of beads everywhere.

Where are we? Are we still in the feudal era? Kagome wondered, mystified by the exotic wares. There was a scent of grilled meat in the air, and spices, and then they passed by an open-air eatery. Kagome glanced at the people sitting at the picnic tables there, and something caught her eye. One man, dressed in yellow tunic heavily draped with necklaces, was pouring a can of Coca-Cola into a ceramic mug. Coca-Cola! Kagome's eyes sharpened, and she began picking out details that came from her own time, her own world: several people were wearing glasses; there was a cell phone attached to one woman's low-slung belt; a pair of sneakers peeked out from under the hem of the gown of another; they passed a row of Porta-potties.

What the...? Are we in my time, after all? This isn't making any sense, Kagome thought in bewilderment.

Finally, they came to a large square tent, made of white canvas hung with strips of bright fabric. The pegged and roped structure was open in the front, by virtue of two large flaps, folded back and tied in place. Their bearded guide announced himself by scratching on the canvas flap, then slipped inside. Kagome could hear him speaking to someone. She glanced at her friends, but they were gazing at the surroundings with wide-eyes. Well, Inuyasha was pretending to be bored, but Kagome could see that his ears were eager and alert. She hid a small smile. He's such a kid sometimes!

The man reappeared with an elegant woman. She was round like an image of Buddha, but the deep russet gown she wore fell in graceful folds about her feet, and her face had a bright welcoming smile. She bowed to the group, and greeted them. Her voice was harmonic, and she spoke Japanese almost without a flaw.

"Good afternoon. Won't you come inside and sit down?"

The small group entered the tent, looking around with interest. Kagome almost stopped to slip off her shoes at the threshold when she saw that the floor of the tent consisted of layered hand-knotted rugs. A glance at the shoes her guide and hostess were wearing told her walking on these rugs was expected, though it felt odd. The tent seemed to be divided into two sections, as a painted curtain hung across the width of the tent, forming a backdrop for the two folding chairs and the bench that were arranged in this main area. Pierced metal lanterns hung from hooks on the tent poles, and a small wooden table held a ceramic plate and bowl containing bread and fruit. There was a faint scent of citronella in the air, mingling with the ever-present wood smoke, and the soft, clear light in the tent was the diffused sunlight coming through the white canvas walls. Altogether, it was the most pleasant tent Kagome had ever been in, and made her wish they had had similar ones during her last school summer outing. Canvas and rugs sure beats orange nylon any day!

They took seats where the elegant woman indicated, Kagome and Sango sharing the bench and Miroku in one of the folding chairs. Inuyasha remained standing by the open door of the tent, which was no surprise to any one there, not even their hostess, if Kagome could judge from the small grin on the woman's face after a quick glance at the half-demon.

"So, Master Duncan tells me you're all newcomers? That you just wandered on site in the middle of his archery tournament? Not speaking much English, are you tourists from Japan?"

For a moment, Kagome didn't want to answer the questions, feeling for sure that they were in trouble. But then she risked a look up at the woman sitting near her in the other folding chair, and was rewarded with a face so open and friendly, she was immediately put at ease. Kagome couldn't help but smile in return.

"Yes," Kagome nodded, and quickly introduced herself and her companions. "I'm afraid we stumbled across your...er..." Her words faltered, and stopped, as Kagome realized she still had no idea just what was really going on here. But it seemed the lady had encountered bewilderment at their activities before, because she answered Kagome's unspoken question almost as if she had been waiting for it.

"It's a camping event." The woman looked around at the confused faces that surrounded her and chuckled. "I see you'll need the full explanation?" At the answering nods, she smiled again.

"I'm called Lady Catherine du Fresne, and I'm a member of a sort of social club that researches and recreates the medieval period. Well, 'social club' is a bit inaccurate, as it's an international organization now, but it started here in the States, back in the Sixties. The members of our group adopt medieval names, we research and make medieval gear, prepare dishes from recipes in period cookbooks, practice the arts and crafts and sciences of the time...we just generally explore whatever aspect of the Middle Ages we each find most interesting! And during the summer, we have events like this one, where we get to spend the weekend with all of our friends, camping out and playing in a medieval style."

There was a long moment of silence, as Kagome and her friends absorbed this. A peek at Inuyasha revealed even he was amazed at the unusual pastime thus described. Then, one fact took hold of Kagome's brain, and sparked a flare of hope within her.

"So, you're saying we aren't in the past? This isn't the Middle Ages?" Kagome asked.

"Well," Lady Catherine admitted with a chuckle, " we do like to call it the 'Current Middle Ages', but it is still the 21st century, unfortunately."

Kagome turned to her friends eagerly. "Everyone, did you hear that? We're in my time! We're in my world! We can just go to Tokyo and take the well back from there!"

"Your time? Your world? What do you mean by that?" Lady Catherine's gaze was sharp with curiosity. Kagome realized her error in blurting out what she did, and colored slightly. She didn't want to reveal the truth, because who would believe it, anyway? But Lady Catherine was persistent.

"Kagome, you can tell me anything, no matter how strange you might think it to be. I mean, I'm not exactly normal myself, am I? I'm a computer programmer, a Midwesterner married to a nisei, who likes to dress up in medieval clothes and camp out under an assumed name!" Catherine's grin was wide, acknowledging the absurdity of the situation. Her grin turned to a laugh, and Kagome couldn't help but laugh along with the woman. Sango and Miroku laughed, as well, Sango hiding her smile behind her hand. Inuyasha remained impervious to their shared humor, standing in the background at the entrance to the tent.

Kagome glanced at Sango and Miroku, silently gauging their opinions. She didn't feel as nervous about telling this woman as she had a moment before, who had already been so helpful to Kagome and her companions that Kagome felt a little in debt to her. There seemed to be no opposition apparent in her friends' faces. She didn't even bother to look toward Inuyasha, knowing already what his opinion would be -- he was never in favor of anything! Kagome took a breath, and launched into her tale. She told Lady Catherine about her family's temple and the ancient well there, her adventures in the feudal era of Japan, and their recent battle with the sorceress and the dragon. She left out some details -- no need to go into the complications with Kikyo, or Sango's struggle to rescue her brother, or the fact that Inuyasha wasn't just a guy in a costume, but an actual half-demon. Throughout, Lady Catherine listened avidly, leaning forward slightly in her camp chair. When Kagome finished, the cheerful woman sat back with a satisfied air. She looked at each of them for a moment, as if seeing them with new eyes. An appreciative grin never left her lips. Then her eyes grew thoughtful, and she looked away, into the far corners of her tent.

"You know, " Lady Catherine said with the same thoughtfulness that was in her eyes, "I'm not so sure you would be able to get back by going to Tokyo." Her eyes refocused on Kagome. "What if this world isn't your world, if this time isn't your time? What if you were cast not only forward in time, but also cast sideways through space?"

"I don't understand what you mean," Kagome said.

"Well, maybe it's just because I read too much science fiction, but I think it might be a real possibility that you and your friends are in an alternate reality. That incident with the cursed Noh mask you mentioned? I've never heard of any news stories about that, and much of my husband's family lives in Tokyo. Wouldn't they have mentioned something unusual like that? Plus," Lady Catherine's voice softened into an apologetic tone, "I don't think your family's shrine exists. I know there's lots of temples and shrines in Tokyo, but, still..."

There was a long moment of silence, as the implications sank in. It hadn't occurred to Kagome that they might be in an entirely different world. She knew from personal experience that lots of the things most ordinary people thought were impossible weren't, but if this were true...

"Are you saying we travelled across worlds as well as times? Then, how will we get home?" Sango asked Kagome's own questions aloud, and from the ill-hid worry in her voice, Kagome knew the demonslayer was thinking about Kohaku.

"Well, if it really was that clash of magics that landed you here, I might have an idea how we can fix that, but there are some people I need to talk to about it first. Don't worry -- we'll figure out a way to get you guys home again." Lady Catherine smiled gently, then abruptly stood and briskly rubbed her palms together. Her face was suddenly alight with an eager glow. "In the meantime, let's get you girls into some proper clothes!"

She herded the boys out of the tent, winking at the monk as she untied the flaps and let them fall closed. She politely ignored Inuyasha's grumbling. Then she turned, and with her hands on her ample hips, surveyed the two girls closely.

"Sango, I know just what will look perfect on you, with the color of your eyes and your lovely skin." Catherine moved to the back of the tent, and pulled aside the painted curtain wall, revealing a low wooden bed draped with plaid woolen blankets, more rugs on the ground, and several wooden chests. She kneeled in front of one and began sorting through the contents.

"I'm usually the one they bring newcomers to, so I tend to have a lot of extra clothes. Once you get really involved, however, you make clothes that fit the time period of your persona. Oh, here it is!" Catherine pulled out a long white cotton gown, and flung it onto the bed behind her, then returned to her rummaging. "Oh, we'll need this, too, for Kagome -- now, where is that bodice...?"

Kagome and Sango could only stand there at the curtain, watching this woman with amazement. She was so eager to dress them up, but it made Kagome feel like someone's doll.

"You really don't have to go through so much trouble," Kagome said, and Sango echoed her.

"Oh, but I do!" Lady Catherine looked up at the two young women from the ground, a broad smile on her face. "It's one of the rules we play by -- no modern clothes on site!"

"Oh."

Kagome looked at Sango. Sango looked at Kagome.

"Well," Sango said, "if it's the rules..."

"Yep, that's what the lady said." The two friends shared a solemn gaze for only a moment longer, then it cracked. They grinned happily, acquiescing to the lure of fancy dress. They stepped eagerly into Lady Catherine's bedroom.

In no time at all, Sango stood in her new garb. The white cotton shift was mostly hidden now by a long burgundy-colored skirt, pleated into many heavy folds at the waist. Over the top, Sango wore a laced bodice in a deep olive green brocade. The neckline of the chemise had been threaded with a satin ribbon in a matching green, and it was gathered up to a modest level, with the ribbon secured in a dangling bow. Detached sleeves in the same olive brocade were laced to the bodice at the shoulders, so that the only parts of the chemise left visible besides the neckline were the dainty puffs of white fabric that escaped from between the lacing there and from beneath the cuffs. Her dark hair had been pulled back from her face into a loose roll at the back of her head, and shining rose-colored ribbons wound through it.

Kagome could only gaze admiringly at her friend, a soft unspoken sigh on her lips. Sango was so pretty!

"Go on, Sango -- show off your new look to the gentlemen outside while I get Kagome all dressed up too." Lady Catherine said with a satisfied tone in her voice.

Sango nodded, and moved toward the flaps of the tent, but stopped, and turned back to face their hostess. "Thank you, Lady Catherine," the young demonslayer said with shining eyes and a slow bow of gratitude. Then she straightened and left the tent.

"Now it's your turn, Kagome!"

"Okay! I hope I can look half as good as Sango does!"

"Oh, you will, I assure you."

Kagome's outfit was made more simply, and in very little time she was dressed in a new costume, too. As she looked down at herself, however, she experienced a sudden attack of stage fright. She had worn lots of different styles of clothing around Inuyasha -- heck, she had even been naked in front of him! But, for some reason, wearing this medieval gown made her feel different. She looked up at Lady Catherine, who only gave her a grin.

"Go on, Kagome," The lady urged her, a little humor in her voice.

Kagome shyly stepped out from within the sheltering walls of the tent. The gown Lady Catherine had found for her was made from a soft and flowing summer-weight wool, in a rich lapis lazuli blue. The gown fit closely to her torso, then flared into elegant folds from beneath a silver-studded belt, fastened at her waist so that the long tongue hung down to her knees. The sleeves were long, and hugged her wrists with a short row of silver buttons. Silver buttons also lined her back. Her hair had been coiled around her head in a shining braid and covered with a sheer silk veil that fluttered down around her shoulders. She felt like she was wearing a princess costume, and was afraid to look up and see everyone's reactions. Well, she amended, trying to be honest with herself, I'm afraid to see Inuyasha's reaction. He'll just scoff, as usual.

"Oh, Kagome!" Sango's voice was filled with admiration. "You look so lovely!"

"Indeed you do, Kagome. In fact -- ouch!"

Kagome looked up at her friend, and at Miroku standing by her. They were both smiling, though Miroku was rubbing his shoulder where Sango had pinched him, and their pleasure in her new appearance gave her the confidence to look to the side, where Inuyasha stood.

He was looking straight at her, and there was an expression in his golden eyes Kagome was unable to identify. Then, unbelievably, his face flushed with color and he looked away, scowling.

"Whatever. It's different, anyway."

But he wouldn't look back up, and Kagome could see that his cheeks were still pinker than usual. He's blushing...because of me? Because of what I'm wearing? Then Kagome felt the color rise in her own cheeks, and she looked down to hide them. Her hands smoothed down the fabric in the gown, over and over.

At that moment, Lady Catherine lifted the flaps to her tent, refastening them open.

"Well, what do you think, gentlemen? Did I do a good job?"

"Indeed you did, Lady Catherine!" Miroku was, naturally, very appreciative. Sango and Kagome exchanged a roll of the eyes. "But, might I ask, do Inuyasha and I need to change our clothes, as well?"

"Oh, I don't think so, Miroku. If I don't miss my guess, you're both wearing very fine examples of period Japanese garb already. Although," and here Lady Catherine squinted a little at Inuyasha's ears, "you're probably going to catch a little grief from those who favor authenticity over whimsy, Inuyasha. Those ears you're wearing are really more cosplay than Current Middle Ages, I'm afraid."

Eep! Kagome's heart skipped a beat. What are we going to do if they try to make him take them off? I'd hate to see what Inuyasha would do to all these nice people!

Lady Catherine walked over to Inuyasha. Kagome cringed, trying to decide if she could say 'sit' fast enough and long enough to protect their hostess. Much to her relief, the woman only patted him on the shoulder, and gave him a wink.

"So you just leave them on, alright, Inuyasha? Those authenticity aficionados sometimes need a little tweaking to keep them fun!"

Without waiting for an answer, Lady Catherine turned to the rest of the little group standing before her tent. Behind her, over her shoulder, Kagome could see Inuyasha twitching his ears irritably, a deep scowl on his face. Then the look was gone, and he turned his head away from the others. He sure has been quiet, Kagome thought, a little worried. I wonder what he thinks about all this? Tucking away her worry for later, Kagome returned her attention to their hostess. The cheerful woman was explaining some of the activities that were going on all around them.

"So, " she asked, her grin wide, "the people I need to talk to about finding a way home for you are busy right now, so could I take you on a tour of the site in the meantime? Or is there something particular you would like to do?"

Kagome was all for taking the tour, and started to say so, but Inuyasha interrupted her.

"I want to do that."

Everyone turned to look in the direction he pointed. There, through a gap in the tents, one could see an open area marked off by a narrow fabric fence. Within the enclosure, two men dressed in battered medieval armor were facing each other. They each held an oddly-shaped sword. As Kagome watched, they began to fight, circling each other and striking out with the weapons. The sharp metallic sound of their swords making contact with their armor was easy to hear, even at this distance, and Kagome realized it had formed part of the general background of sound ever since they had entered the camping site. Inuyasha hadn't been sulking, she thought, her worries resolved, he's been watching the fighting all along! She felt considerable relief at this realization. Of course he's more interested in the battles than in the fancy dress! Kagome smiled, and saw that Sango and Miroku were sharing her reaction. That's Inuyasha for you!

But Lady Catherine was a little more surprised than they were at this declaration.

"You want to fight in the tourney?" Her eyebrows were raised as she looked at the bit of the tourney field that could be seen through the tents, then at Inuyasha who hadn't taken his eyes off the fighting, and back at the knights in the field. "Well...we have rules about that, too. You have to qualify and prove that you're capable of fighting safely by our regulations, but..." Catherine paused, her face taking on it's now-familiar thoughtful look. "I think we might be able to do it. There's an open tourney taking place tomorrow, and I think we might be able to get you a spot in it. How's that?"

Inuyasha stood there, his arms folded over his chest solidly, a satisfied expression on his face. His only reply to Lady Catherine was a single nod of his head. He was still watching the fighters, and Kagome could see that his eyes had a shine to them. For some reason, she thought, he's reminding me of Sota on his last birthday, looking at his new toys. Kagome had a momentary vision of Inuyasha on the tourney field, and hoped these medievalists were ready for an eager half-demon to enter the fray. Well, she consoled herself, I guess I can always say 'sit' if the carnage starts to get out of hand!


End file.
